Winds of change in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Home minister P Chidambaram on Friday said he will have to hold discussions with the prime minister and the defence minister on the issues of revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and thinning of troops. He, however, offered no deadlines, but said: ���We have agreed to walk on the road carefully.���

���I think I have a better idea of security situation and the issues that need to be addressed,��� the home minister said ending his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir that is witnessing, what he described as, ���a rise in agitational activities���. Mr Chidambaram said the lines of responsibilities need to be redrawn among the security agencies operating in the state, but added that it will take some time.

���Army���s role will be the conventional defence on borders, counter-infiltration and countering terrorism within the state. The paramilitary forces would remain at the aid of state government and police will do the routine policing and fighting militancy,��� Mr Chidambaram said. ���The principal responsibility will remain with the state police.��� Mr Chidambaram said Centre will help the state government in containing militancy and would like Army to do it in areas far away from cities and towns. The objective, he said, is to create an environment of peace and security in the state, which is vital for development and mass aspiration for better roads, education and future. ���Stability is reasonably assured after the assembly elections,��� he added.

The home minister also ruled out the possibility of Taliban in Kashmir. ���The data shows that militancy has been contained, but there is infiltration,��� he said. ���Militancy has come down, but agitational activities are on rise���. Peaceful demonstrations, he said, are unavoidable in a democracy, but these should not interfere with day-to-day life, governance and development.

The issue of AFSPA and reducing the number of security men deployed in the Valley, Mr Chidambaram said, devoured most of the time when he presided over the meeting of the Unified Command. The issues cropped up again in his meeting with the political parties. ���I promise to look into the mater with the defence minister and the prime minister. Let us leave it (the issue) here,��� he said. ���We have to carefully go into all aspects and we are moving on that road.���

Mr Chidambaram refused to react to the statement made by US undersecretary of state William Burns that wishes of Kashmiri people should be taken into account in its resolution. However, the home minister, while talking about the development, said J&K faces two kinds of problems ��� one, that it shares with other states and another which is peculiar to it. When asked to identify the ���peculiar ones���, he said: ���I am not going to list or rank the problems which the state has faced for many years, but these problems require political solutions���.

He later added: ���We are aware of political issues involved in J&K and we will resolve them. It will require dialogue which will start at an appropriate time.��� The home minister said the state government has briefed him about the Shopian incidents. ���The intention of the chief minister is good. There will be proper action, follow up and guilty will be punished,��� he said.